Focused Passage

Acts 6:8-15

Word Ministry, Servant Leadership, and Stephen’s Faithful Witness

The growing church addresses neglected widows through Spirit-qualified servant leadership, the word continues to spread, and Stephen’s grace-filled witness provokes hostile opposition.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

8 Now Stephen, who was full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.

9 But resistance arose from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and men from the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. They disputed with Stephen,

10 but they could not stand up to his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.

11 Then they prompted some men to say, “We heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.”

12 So they stirred up the people, elders, and scribes and confronted Stephen. They seized him and brought him before the Sanhedrin,

13 where they presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law.

14 For we have heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”

15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 8

Original words

Now δὲ G1161 Conjunction Stephen Στέφανος G4736 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular [who was] full πλήρης G4134 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular of grace χάριτος G5485 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction power δυνάμεως G1411 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular was performing ἐποίει G4160 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular great μεγάλα G3173 Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural wonders τέρατα G5059 Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural and καὶ G2532 Conjunction signs σημεῖα G4592 Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural among ἐν G1722 Preposition the τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Masculine Singular people λαῷ G2992 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Verse 9

Original words

But δέ G1161 Conjunction resistance arose ἀνέστησαν G450 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural - τινες G5100 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural - τῶν G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Plural from ἐκ G1537 Preposition what τῆς G3588 Article - Genitive Feminine Singular was called λεγομένης G3004 Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Genitive Feminine Singular [the] Synagogue συναγωγῆς G4864 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular of the τῆς G3588 Article - Genitive Feminine Singular Freedmen Λιβερτίνων G3032 Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural including καὶ G2532 Conjunction Cyrenians Κυρηναίων G2956 Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural - καὶ G2532 Conjunction Alexandrians Ἀλεξανδρέων G221 Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural and καὶ G2532 Conjunction men τῶν G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Plural from ἀπὸ G575 Preposition [the provinces of] Cilicia Κιλικίας G2791 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction Asia Ἀσίας G773 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular They disputed συζητοῦντες G4802 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural with τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Masculine Singular Stephen Στεφάνῳ G4736 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular

BSB notes

  • Literally and those from Cilicia and Asia; the Roman Province of Asia was located in what is now western Turkey.
Verse 10

Original words

[but] καὶ G2532 Conjunction vvv οὐκ G3756 Adverb they could not ἴσχυον G2480 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural stand up to ἀντιστῆναι G436 Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active [his] τῇ G3588 Article - Dative Feminine Singular wisdom σοφίᾳ G4678 Noun - Dative Feminine Singular [or] καὶ G2532 Conjunction the τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Neuter Singular Spirit Πνεύματι G4151 Noun - Dative Neuter Singular by whom G3739 Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Neuter Singular he spoke ἐλάλει G2980 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 11

Original words

Then Τότε G5119 Adverb they prompted ὑπέβαλον G5260 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural [some] men ἄνδρας G435 Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural to say λέγοντας G3004 Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural - ὅτι G3754 Conjunction We heard Ἀκηκόαμεν G191 Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural [Stephen] αὐτοῦ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular speak λαλοῦντος G2980 Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Singular words ῥήματα G4487 Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural of blasphemy βλάσφημα G989 Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural against εἰς G1519 Preposition Moses Μωϋσῆν G3475 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction - τὸν G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Singular [against] God Θεόν G2316 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Verse 12

Original words

[So] τε G5037 Conjunction they stirred up συνεκίνησάν G4787 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural the τὸν G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Singular people λαὸν G2992 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular - καὶ G2532 Conjunction - τοὺς G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Plural elders πρεσβυτέρους G4245 Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural and καὶ G2532 Conjunction - τοὺς G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Plural scribes γραμματεῖς G1122 Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural and καὶ G2532 Conjunction confronted [Stephen] ἐπιστάντες G2186 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural They seized συνήρπασαν G4884 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural him αὐτὸν G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction brought [him] ἤγαγον G71 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural before εἰς G1519 Preposition the τὸ G3588 Article - Accusative Neuter Singular Sanhedrin συνέδριον G4892 Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular

BSB notes

  • Or the Council; also in verse 15
Verse 13

Original words

[where] τε G5037 Conjunction they presented Ἔστησάν G2476 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural false ψευδεῖς G5571 Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural witnesses μάρτυρας G3144 Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural [who] said λέγοντας G3004 Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural This οὗτος G3778 Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular - G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular man ἄνθρωπος G444 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular vvv οὐ G3756 Adverb never stops παύεται G3973 Verb - Present Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular speaking λαλῶν G2980 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular . . . ῥήματα G4487 Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural against κατὰ G2596 Preposition - τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Singular this τούτου G3778 Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Masculine Singular - τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Singular holy ἁγίου G40 Adjective - Genitive Masculine Singular place τόπου G5117 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction [against] the τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Singular law νόμου G3551 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 14

Original words

For γὰρ G1063 Conjunction we have heard ἀκηκόαμεν G191 Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural him αὐτοῦ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular say λέγοντος G3004 Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Singular that ὅτι G3754 Conjunction - οὗτος G3778 Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular Jesus Ἰησοῦς G2424 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular of G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular Nazareth Ναζωραῖος G3480 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular will destroy καταλύσει G2647 Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular this τοῦτον G3778 Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Singular - τὸν G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Singular place τόπον G5117 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction change ἀλλάξει G236 Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular the τὰ G3588 Article - Accusative Neuter Plural customs ἔθη G1485 Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural that G3739 Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural Moses Μωϋσῆς G3475 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular handed down παρέδωκεν G3860 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular to us ἡμῖν G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Plural
Verse 15

Original words

All πάντες G3956 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural who οἱ G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Plural were sitting καθεζόμενοι G2516 Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural in ἐν G1722 Preposition the τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Neuter Singular Sanhedrin συνεδρίῳ G4892 Noun - Dative Neuter Singular - Καὶ G2532 Conjunction looked intently ἀτενίσαντες G816 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural at εἰς G1519 Preposition [Stephen] αὐτὸν G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular [and] they saw that εἶδον G3708 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural his αὐτοῦ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular - τὸ G3588 Article - Accusative Neuter Singular face πρόσωπον G4383 Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular [was] like ὡσεὶ G5616 Adverb [the] face πρόσωπον G4383 Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular of an angel ἀγγέλου G32 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.